PROPER HEIGHT OF FOX-HOUNDS. 389 



Chute were at least three inches below the standard 

 of his neighbour Mr. Villebois's large pack ; also 

 as much below that of his Grace the Duke of Cleve- 

 land, who also had for ma^ny years a large and a 

 small pack ; and at least four inches lower than 

 Mr. Wardens, in whose kennel were hounds full 

 twenty-six inches high. Various arguments are 

 made use of by the advocates of large and small 

 hounds. Those of the former assert that they get 

 better across a deep and strongly-fenced country 

 than smaller ones ; whilst the admirers of the lat- 

 ter insist upon their being better climbers of hills, 

 more active in cover, and quicker out of it when 

 their fox is gone ; and are oftener found to be per- 

 fect in form and shape. As to uniformity in size, 

 how pleasing soever it may be to the eye, it is by 

 no means essential to the well-doing of hounds in 

 the field, and has been disregarded by some of our 

 first sportsmen, the great Mr. Meynell for one, 

 who never drafted a good hound for being over or 

 under size ; neither did Mr. Assheton Smith, when 

 he succeeded to his, Mr. MeynelPs, country. The 

 great object of both was to breed them with mus- 

 cular power and bone, combined with as much sym- 

 metry as could be obtained ; and to be equal in 

 speed and good qualities, rather than equal in 

 height. 



We consider the proper standard of height in 

 fox -hounds to be from twenty-one to twenty- two 

 inches for bitches, and from twenty-three to twenty- 

 four for dog hounds. The minimum and maximum 

 size of the last fifty years would have been found 



